


Yes, I’m Ready

by YaminoBossBitch



Series: White Lines, Gold Teeth [2]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: 1960s AU, Age Difference, Anal Sex, Beerus/Whis - Freeform, Crime, Drug Use, Guns, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Human AU, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mafia AU, Miami, New York, Oral Sex, Period Typical Homophobia, Police, Sex, Sexual Harassment, Violence, affair, conversion therapy, gratuitous Spanish, homophobic violence, slight daddy kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 04:07:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21385816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaminoBossBitch/pseuds/YaminoBossBitch
Summary: Intended to be read after reading Chapter 3 of Vices & Virtues. When Whis first met Beerus on New Year’s, 1965. The story of how a law student fell in love with a gangster, and some of the food they ate along the way.
Relationships: Beerus/Whis (Dragon Ball)
Series: White Lines, Gold Teeth [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1541698
Comments: 13
Kudos: 32





	Yes, I’m Ready

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Violence, drug use, guns, police, sexual harassment, homophobia including internalized homophobia, period-typical and not, conversion therapy, slurs, and homophobic violence, sex, let me know if you would like anything else tagged! 
> 
> This story really isn’t necessary to enjoy Vices & Virtues, but it is optional to be read after chapter three. I’m not sure if it would be confusing to read this without having read V&V or not, may just feel a little underdeveloped. ANYWAY this is the story of how Whis and Beerus met and became lovers nine years before the main story. I hope you like it! Also I apologize for my poor Spanish and minimal understanding of dialects. 😂 Please correct me if I’ve made any mistakes!

Whis knew how to socialize. He had been doing it all his life, and generally, he was very good at it. But still, he hated his father’s soirées, even on New Year’s Eve. Especially since his arrest, it was a frustrating cycle of important people asking him the same five questions over and over. What are you doing now, college or work? Is it true what they said in the papers... you were really arrested for... _that_? Did you try therapy? Doesn’t that ruin your chances of ever running for public office? Did you ever read what Freud said about... _that_?

He smiled and nodded and answered politely. It made him feel like a sideshow freak. But he didn’t want to disrupt his father’s chance in the upcoming election. Contrary to what many seemed to believe, he wasn’t trying to get back at his father or hurt his family in any way. Thankfully, his father seemed to at least understand that. But no one else did. Even worse were the whispers nearby.

“Did you hear about his arrest?”

“Not my son. No way, if it were my son, he’d be out on the street.”

“Yeah, he says he’s done the therapy and he’s better now, but I still don’t trust him. I don’t see a wedding ring, do you?”

Whis shoveled appetizers into his mouth. Maybe if he was eating, he wouldn’t have to talk. Right?

“Mr. Champa, I’m so glad you could make it.” He heard his sister say. Champa was a client of hers from Los Angeles. He worked for the mob, but in the upper echelon, no one ever spoke of that. He was a business man like any other.

“Happy to be here. Vados, this is my twin brother, Beerus.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Whis turned. The voice sounded nothing like he’d expect Champa’s twin to sound like, which is what prompted him to turn. He was pleasantly surprised to see he didn’t look much like Champa either. He had the same skin tone and feline-like appearance, but the similarities ended there. Where Champa was more squat and chubby, Beerus was rather thin and had an elegant shape to his face. Whis swallowed. He didn’t expect him to be so handsome.

He suddenly realized Vados was making eye contact with him. Wordlessly, she nodded for him to come over. He did so. He actually rather liked Champa. People who worked in the underbelly seemed to be less judgmental towards him.

“Whis, I believe you’ve met Mr. Champa. Mr. Beerus, this is my brother, Whis.” Whis stretched out his hand for a handshake. Beerus hesitated, and Whis felt his heart sink. He wondered if maybe Beerus had heard the stories as well, and was disgusted by him.

Beerus stared up at him, eyes wide. Whis was tall and elegant and beautiful in an androgynous sort of way. He looked a lot like his sister, but Vados didn’t make Beerus’ heart flutter like this. Beerus realized Whis was holding out his hand. He quickly grabbed it and shook it.

“Pleasure to meet you,” He said, hoping he sounded cool.

Whis felt relieved as Beerus gave him a firm handshake. He smiled. Beerus seemed like a confident man, but something mischievous in his smile. It made Whis feel a little giddy, though he didn’t want to let it show.

“Are you visiting from Los Angeles as well?”

“Miami, actually. It’s not often my brother comes to this side of the country, and I didn’t want to miss another opportunity to see him. Although I wasn’t expecting it to be quite this damn cold up here,” Beerus said. “Does it ever stop snowing?”

“For about a month in July.” Whis grinned. Beerus chuckled.

“Seasons are nice and all, but I prefer warm weather and year-round beaches.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“You should come visit sometime.” Beerus said. Whis felt his heart skip a beat. Did he just... offer?

Beerus blanched. He hadn’t meant it to sound like an offer. Whis probably thought he was a total creep. He swallowed hard.

“I-in general. Miami is a nice place to visit.” He added. He wanted to slap himself. He was certain he sounded like an idiot.

Whis exhaled softly. Of course he wasn’t offering. That would be crazy. It was just wishful thinking, dreaming of being whisked off to sunny shores by this handsome stranger.

“Are you in construction, like Mr. Champa?” He asked. Beerus smirked.

“Commercial real estate. It’s quite a lucrative trade along the waterfront.” He said. Whis smirked back. They both knew what sort of business he was really involved in.

“Whis, Vados!” A familiar voice called. Their father was signaling for them to come to him. He was standing beside a crowd of old men, and it was time for his children to make a good impression.

“It was good to meet you,” Whis said. They said polite good-byes and started across the room. As they walked, Whis could feel Vados’ eyes on him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked.

“You’re blushing.”

“I am not.” He replied coolly, though he felt his face get hotter.

“You like him, don’t you?”

“Don’t say such things!” He hissed, double checking that his father hadn’t heard. They approached the group and began the art of conversation.

“So, Whis... What does he do exactly?” Beerus asked as he and Champa filled their plates with hors d’oeuvres. “This is a family full of politicians and lawyers, but he seems different, somehow?”

“You don’t know?” Champa asked, eyeing his brother.

“Know what?”

“He’s like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, a fruitcake.”

“Watch it!” Beerus barked, dropping the serving spoon in his hand.

“Sorry, a homosexual-American. Whatever you want to call it. He’s like that. Can’t run for public office. Hell, with the scandal he caused, he’ll be lucky if can get a job flipping burgers in this town.” Champa explained. Beerus frowned. He turned to spot Whis across the room

“A scandal?”

“I don’t remember the whole story, but I guess he was caught with another man a few years back. Caused quite a stir.”

“In this family? That must have been a disaster.” Beerus said, his massive ears drooping slightly.

“Hey, I don’t like that look on your face. What are you plotting? Never mind, I don’t want to know. Whatever it is, try not to embarrass me. Vados is the best lawyer I’ve had and I can’t afford to lose this connection, you hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Whis stepped onto the private balcony from the library. It was separate from the main balcony, no one could see him there. He took a drag of his cigarette and leaned against the wall. This was the one place he could get away from the crushing social pressure. He took a shaky breath. As much as he hated these parties, meeting Beerus had been a nice change of pace, even if the feeling wasn’t mutual. As the cold winter air prickled his skin, he thought of Miami, of hot wind blowing through palm trees, of white sand beaches, of being free.

The door clicked behind him and he started. He turned and quickly prepared himself to come up with an excuse for hiding in here.

Beerus was frozen for a moment, staring at Whis. He knew he’d be in there. He didn’t know how lovely he’d look silhouetted by the December moon. He gulped.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you.” He said. Whis straightened up.

“Not at all. I was just getting some air. If you need space, I can go.”

“Actually, I came to see you.” Beerus said.

Whis did his best to remain with a neutral expression. He didn’t want to get his hopes up.

Beerus felt like his heart was racing a million miles an hour. He didn’t know what he was doing. It was probably stupid.

“Me, Mr. Beerus?”

“Yes, your sister said you might be in here. We didn’t get a chance to talk much before. Do you mind if I join you?” Beerus asked.

“No, you’re welcome.” Whis said. Beerus stepped onto the balcony beside him. There was a silence. Whis felt strangely nervous.

“Do you know what I do for a living?” Beerus said.

“Real estate, you mentioned earlier.”

“But we both know it’s not real estate at all, don’t we?” He took a leather cigar case from his pocket.

“Yes. I believe Mr. Champa works for the mafia. I imagine it’s similar for you as well.” Whis said. He was surprised that Beerus was discussing this so openly with him.

“Champa is the mafia in Los Angeles. I am the mafia in Miami. I run the show. Specifically, I deal in bringing cocaine into the US and selling it across the country. And not to brag, but I’ve got the best stuff. Not on me, I didn’t think this was _that_ kind of party, but I have the best, if you like cocaine.” He lit a cigar and took a drag.

“I’ve only tried it a couple times.” Whis said. Beerus grinned.

“Well, if you ever want any, you can always talk to me. I’ve got connections everywhere.”

“Most people in your line of work aren’t so open about it. I think lawyers make them nervous.”

“Yes, most lawyers do make me nervous. But you’re not a lawyer, are you?” Beerus said. Whis looked down.

“I was studying pre-law but I had to take a bit of a sabbatical.”

“I think I heard something about that. You had to take time to try to cure yourself of something that is hardly a disease,” Whis looked back up. No one had ever said anything like that before. Beerus twisted the cigar between his fingers. “If no one is getting hurt, then who gives a damn what you do.” Whis didn’t know what to say, for a moment.

“Does your wife know you feel that way?”

“Ah...” Beerus looked down at the golden ring on his finger. “No. She doesn’t. Honestly, when I married her, I thought she was the cure. That having a wife would make those feelings go away,” he took another drag. “It didn’t.”

“I see,” Whis leaned back against the wall. “I’ve tried dating women. I think I’m too obvious. Most of them reject me. The ones that don’t never make it for a second date.”

“So, you are you saying you don’t have anyone to kiss at midnight?” Beerus said. Whis felt his eyes go wide. “Sorry, forget I said that. I think it was the liquor talking.”

“Was it?”

“I’m practically twice your age, and a criminal, and married. I have no business saying something like that.”

“Is that so? What a shame.” Whis grinned. Beerus felt his heart leap.

“So...is a lawyer really what you want to be?” He asked quickly.

“What do you mean?”

“Your whole family is a bunch of lawyers and politicians. Is that what you want to be?” Whis pondered for a moment.

“Honestly, I don’t know what else I could do. The world I come from, those seem to be the only options.”

“Is that so? I’m not sure I agree,” Beerus looked up to the night sky. “You are grown, now, after all. You could go anywhere you wanted, do anything. In fact, maybe it would be easier on your old man if you went to live the life you want instead of trying to follow in his footsteps when it doesn’t make you happy.”

“You think?”

“Then again, what do I know? We come from different worlds. It’s just that you seem like such a smart guy, it would be a shame for that talent to be wasted on something at banal as law.” Beerus said. He shivered.

“Let’s step inside.” Whis offered. They stepped back into the library and shut the balcony door. They both looked at each other as if unsure what to say next. Outside, the partygoers began counting.

“10...9...8...7...6...” They both looked to the door, then back to each other.

“5...4...3...” Whis smiled, and Beerus smiled back.

“2...1... Happy New Year!”

They kissed. Whis was surprised at how gentle it was. Beerus had such a rough-around-the-edges energy to him, yet he cupped Whis’ face delicately and pressed against his lips softly. When they pulled away, they were both grinning broadly.

“You look awfully happy for someone who insisted he didn’t want to go to some ‘stuffy, upper-crust, New England party.’” Champa observed as they got into the car. Beerus was still grinning, his lips tingling with the memory.

“I didn’t expect to have so much fun.” He replied.

“What did you do? Never mind, I don’t want to know,” Champa said quickly. After a pause, he added, “You didn’t...sleep with him, did you?”

“Of course not. We just talked,” Beerus replied. “And then midnight came.”

“Guh, okay, okay, I don’t need all the details!” Beerus laughed.

“You are such a wimp.”

Though they had exchanged information, Whis didn’t expect to receive a letter so soon after their meeting. Beerus had returned to Miami and wrote to Whis right away. Whis was just as surprised when, as soon as he finished reading, he started writing back.

They wrote, back and forth, constantly. As soon as Whis received a letter from Beerus, he wrote back, and as soon as Beerus received Whis’ reply, he wrote back again. Beerus always wrote on company letterhead, Whis imagined this was to avoid arousing his wife’s suspicion. They told each other everything. For the first time, Whis felt like he had someone he could talk to and not feel ashamed. He could be completely honest with Beerus about anything.

Some weeks in, Beerus asked if Whis would be available for a long-distance phone call. They spent hours on the phone, so many that the phone bill went up exponentially. Whis’ father politely asked that he limit his time on the phone to once a week, despite all their money, it was getting to be too much.

Whis sat at the telephone bench, smoking a cigarette and waiting anxiously. Vados noticed him there.

“Waiting on a call again?” She asked. He nodded. “From Beerus?”

“Yes.” Vados leaned against the arm of the bench beside him.

“I had no idea you two would hit it off so well. Is it serious?” Whis felt his face heat.

“I’m not sure.” The phone rang. He jumped, grinning excitedly as he answered. Vados gave a knowing look and left him to his conversation.

“So, I don’t know if you’re busy or not,” Beerus said. “But if not, I thought you might want to come visit me.”

“In Miami?” Whis twirled his finger around the cord.

“Yes. It’s springtime, the weather is nice right before hurricane season hits. Now’s the best time.”

“I’d love to.”

Whis felt flustered as he packed. He wanted to look good. He wanted to make a good impression. But...what impression exactly was he trying to make? He didn’t know what Beerus was expecting. Were they going to...

He shook off the thought as he pushed his swim shorts into his suitcase. He didn’t want to set any sort of expectations. He didn’t even know for certain if Beerus was interested in him in that way.

Vados drove him to the airport. She kept looking over at him, as if wanting to ask something.

“So...” she said.

“What is it?”

“It sounds like it’s serious.” Whis shifted in his seat.

“I’ll let you know when I get back.”

As soon as he stepped out of the gate, he saw Beerus waiting for him. He felt himself smiling automatically.

“Hey,” Beerus said.

“It’s good to see you again.” Whis said. They walked together to the parking lot. Beerus had a ‘64 Jaguar E-Type car, the black paint was shiny and spotless, and it was a convertible, the top pulled down. Whis sat in the passenger seat. Beerus was grinning broadly as the engine turned over.

They didn’t speak on the drive to the hotel. Beerus held Whis’ hand between shifting gears. When they pulled into the hotel parking lot, a valet parked the car. They took the elevator to the room. Whis didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t a luxury suite at one of the nicest hotels in Miami. The window provided a clear view to the ocean.

“It’s lovely.” He said breathlessly. Beerus shrugged.

“Manager owed me a favor, that’s all,” he sat at the table. “Listen, Whis... I just want you to know, I’m not expecting anything for this trip.” Whis turned.

“What do you mean?”

“I just really wanted to see you again. So, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything for me or... you know what I mean,” Beerus’ face went red. “You don’t owe me anything. You being here is enough.”

“Thank you.” Whis said.

“Hey!” Beerus leapt up suddenly. “You ever had _ropa vieja_?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“I know this great place in Little Havana, makes the best damn _ropa vieja_ you ever wanna eat. Come on!”

Little Havana was busy and colorful. Many shops with hand-painted signs in Spanish advertising sales and specials. Beerus took Whis to a small, hole-in-the-wall dive called _El Becerro_. The owner seemed to know him, as he greeted him with a smile and a wave.

“¡Ah, _Señor_ Beerus! ¿_La ropa vieja otra vez_?”

“_Dos, por favor,_ Rolando.” He took his jacket off and sat at a booth. Whis sat across from him.

“You really do have connections everywhere.” Whis said. Beerus smirked.

“You live in Miami long enough, you find the good spots. So, tell me, Whis, what have you been up to since we last talked?”

They caught up, Whis filled him in on his life, his father’s election, Vados taking on a client who proceeded to tell her that women didn’t belong in a law office, and the tantrum he threw when she then rejected his case, and his own life, how he was passing the time with no school or work, reading, exploring New York, experiencing clubs and bars for...

“People like us?” Beerus offered. Whis chuckled.

“Yes. People like us.”

“You’re not still... being ‘treated’ for that, are you?”

“No. Actually, shortly after meeting you, I decided to stop seeing Dr. Williams.”

“Is that so?”

“It was something you said, that if no one was getting hurt, then it shouldn’t matter. No one has ever said it to me like that. It always felt like a problem I had to fix. Besides, the treatments weren’t working anyway. They kept trying to make it out like it was something my parents had done to me either because they paid too much attention to me or not enough. They tried to force them into roles they never played. I didn’t care for it. Besides, the trial was over, I didn’t need to impress anyone anymore.” Beerus nodded.

“So, what does that mean for you now?”

“Hm, you could say it was my New Year’s resolution to figure that out for myself. I think I’m getting close now.” He said, with a sassy grin that made Beerus’ face turn red.

Their food was placed in front of them.

“¡_Buen provecho_!” The waiter said.

“_Gracias_.” Beerus replied. Upon the plates in front of them was shredded beef in a tomato-based sauce, with white rice on the side. The smell of the spices wafted pleasantly. Whis studied it with interest for a moment before he scooped some up on his fork and took a bite.

The warm flavors seemed to dance through his entire being, sending delightful tingling through his jaw. His eyes sparkled with wonder.

“It’s delicious!” He exclaimed. “Oh, I thought the flank steak would be chewy and tough but it’s so soft it just falls apart in your mouth! And the tomato adds such a wonderful tanginess, and the spices make the whole dish feel so warm and comforting!”

“I knew you’d love it. Let’s eat!”

“¿_Cómo esta_?” The owner asked.

“¡_Él lo ama_!” Beerus called back.

After dinner, they took a walk along the beach. Beerus wished he could hold Whis’ hand again, but didn’t want to risk someone seeing. Instead, he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“It’s beautiful here.” Whis said as he watched the waves rushing the shore.

“Yes, it is. When I first moved here, I thought I’d hate it, but this town has grown on me.”

“I could get used to the weather. And the food.”

“It’s the food that got me. Cubans know how to cook.” They paused for a moment to appreciate the colors of the sunset.

“May I ask you something, Beerus?”’ Whis said after a silence.

“Of course.”

“It’s about your wife.”

“Oh,” Beerus looked down. “What is it?”

“Where does she think you are now?”

“Working late. It’s not so uncommon, sometimes I stay out for days,” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “Does it bother you that I’m married?”

“Not necessarily. If I’m being honest with you, I’ve been involved with married men before. I might feel somewhat guilty, but I understand your need to protect yourself. Do you think you ever loved her?”

“No. I knew I didn’t when I asked her to marry me,” He sighed. “I must sound like a terrible person. She’s a good woman. I care about her, but I don’t love her. She’s younger than me, and I thought... well, I thought she was just looking for protection. Money. Someone to provide. I didn’t expect she’d ever really develop feelings for me. It’s a bit late to fix it now.”

“I don’t think you’re a terrible person. As I told you, if it were an option for me, I’d probably do the same. As it stands, I’m lucky not to be living on a bench in Christopher Park.”

They were silent again for a time.

“So, did you say you and I are involved?” Beerus asked with a wicked grin. Whis’ face flushed.

“Uh, d-did I say that? I don’t recall.” He said quickly. Beerus laughed.

“Come on.”

They made their way back to the hotel. It was dark when they got there, and Whis gratefully lay back on his bed. Beerus grinned as he watched him, leaning against the wall.

“You must be tired.”

“Mm, what is it about airplanes that make one so tired? All I did was sit there for a few hours.”

“If you want to sleep, I can leave.” Whis sat up.

“You’re not going to kiss me goodnight?” He asked. Beerus felt his heart leap. His face burned as he stood upright. Suddenly he felt nervous, like he was a teenager about to have his first kiss ever. Whis was looking up at him, violet eyes glittering expectantly. Beerus stepped to the bed and sat on the edge. Whis scooted forward to sit beside him. Beerus stared at his lips for a moment, then leaned forward to kiss him.

His body felt warm, the pleasant tingling where their lips met traveling to his heart. He pulled him closer, kissing him deeper. Whis slipped his tongue into his mouth. Beerus brushed a hand under his jaw. Whis braced himself against Beerus’ chest. They fell back, Whis on top of him, their lips never breaking contact.

They kissed for a long time, moving their lips against each other, holding each other. When they finally broke away, they were both flushed and grinning. Whis rested his forehead against Beerus’.

“Some goodnight kiss.” Beerus said. Whis chuckled.

“Will you stay with me?” He asked. Beerus nodded.

They fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

When Whis woke, Beerus was gone. There was a note on his pillow.

“Whis,

Had to run some quick errands. Will be back soon. Order some room service.

—Beerus”

Whis showered and wrapped himself in the hotel’s soft robe. He ordered breakfast and smoked a cigarette while he waited. Shortly after the food arrived, Beerus did as well. He grinned brightly as he walked in.

“Sorry,” he said. “Shelly gets all upset if I don’t at least check in and change my clothes,” He sat at the table and yawned. “Good, you got a lot of food. That’ll come in handy.”

“Handy?” Whis echoed. Beerus grinned wickedly.

“It’ll pair nicely with this lid.” He said as he took a bag of weed from his pocket.

They rolled a few joints and smoked over breakfast. The food was delicious, and the weed certainly helped. Then, they lay together in front of the TV, kissing lazily and relaxing.

“Can I tell you something?” Whis asked as he passed the joint to Beerus.

“Hm?”

“I think I’m falling for you.” Beerus was so surprised by this he froze, until the burning of the smoke in his throat caught up to him and he started to cough violently. Whis just laughed. After several minutes, Beerus caught his breath again. He looked back at Whis, red-faced.

“Do you mean that?” He asked hoarsely. Whis nodded.

“Of course.”

“I feel the same way!” Beerus grabbed him, grinning excitedly. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. It’s like you understand me. Like you’re the one person I can really be myself around. I think...I think I’m falling in love with you.” Whis beamed. He wrapped his arms around Beerus and held him for a long time.

“You hungry?” Beerus asked. Some time had passed. They ran out of food long before they ran out of grass. “I know a burger joint just around the corner from here, we can get some grub there.”

“Mm, sounds good.” Whis said.

They walked together. Being high seemed to make the colors and energy of Miami more intense. Whis found himself smiling foolishly as he walked. They arrived to the burger stand and sat up at the stools on the outside counter. Beerus made the orders, insisting he knew all the secrets of getting them to make the “perfect burger.” Whis didn’t argue, he could tell Beerus had good taste, and he was too high to care much what he ate, anyway.

“I’ll be right back, I gotta go wash up.” Beerus said. Whis nodded. He stepped away, and Whis was left alone.

Two men were standing nearby, smoking cigarettes and talking. Whis noticed that they were laughing and pointing at him. At first, they were trying to be quiet, but their voices were getting increasingly louder. They sounded drunk. He heard words like “sissy” and “fruit.” He pretended not to hear it. But their voices were getting louder.

He was getting nervous.

“Hey! Hey, faggot!” One man addressed Whis directly. Whis stiffened. “Hey, come on, man, I can’t eat with someone like you around. I don’t eat with queers.” The other man was laughing. He chimed in.

“Hey, you suck dick? Huh, fruitcake?”

This wasn’t the first time Whis had dealt with this sort of harassment. Normally, he ignored it, or if it seemed like they wanted to hurt him, he ran. But occasionally, he got tired of ignoring it. This was one of those times. He really hadn’t meant to say anything. He meant to continue to ignore them. Instead, he turned to them and replied,

“Why don’t you ask your father?”

The men stopped laughing. They stomped over. Whis had nowhere to run, so he held his ground.

“What the fuck did you just say?” The larger of the two men snarled. He grabbed Whis by the shirt collar and lifted him off the stool. A quick glance toward the kitchen told Whis that the staff was aware this was happening. The other customers were too. No one was going to step in on his behalf. Whis cleared his throat.

“I said, tell your father to stop calling me.” He said, loud and clear.

“You fucking—“ the man had lifted his fist to punch Whis, then froze suddenly. Whis realized that behind him, Beerus had returned, and was jabbing a pistol into the man’s ribs.

“Drop him.” Beerus’ voice was a low growl, an intense sort of rage emanating from him. The man let go of Whis. The other man took off running.

“H-hey man, I was just kidding around.” The guy said. He was shaking.

“Yeah? Don’t quit your day job.” The man looked back to Whis, now with a pleading expression.

“No, I-I mean, come on, tell him, t-tell him we were just playing around. It’s nothing to kill me over, right? I was just joking.” Tears had started streaming down his cheeks.

“What do you think, Whis? Was he just kidding?” Beerus asked. Whis straightened his shirt and shrugged.

“It didn’t seem like a joke to me,” He said. Suddenly an awful smell permeated the air. The man had pissed his pants. Whis made a face. “Ugh, very well, let him go before I lose my appetite.”

“Hm, it’s your lucky day. But if I ever see your face in my city again, it gets blown off. Understood?” The man nodded, then took off running. Beerus uncocked his pistol and placed it back in the holster. “I should have killed him.”

“I think he’s learned his lesson. If not, then you can kill him next time.” Whis said.

“Jesus, I’m sorry, Whis, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

“Dammit,” Beerus growled. His tail swished irritably. “I shouldn’t have left you alone, this is my fault.”

“No, it’s not. I’m an adult, there’s no reason for you to have to watch me every second of the day. It’s their own fault and no one else’s.” Beerus looked back the way the men had run, then laughed.

“You know, with that mouth of yours, maybe I should get you a gun.” He said. Whis chuckled.

“I don’t know what came over me.”

“It was good. I’m glad you didn’t take that. But please don’t do that again when you’re by yourself. I can’t have you getting hurt.”

“Alright, I promise.”

The burgers were, predictably, delicious, even if the encounter had ruined both Whis and Beerus’ buzzes. Afterward, they decided to visit the beach. Whis changed into his bathing suit at the hotel, and they found a somewhat empty area where they could smoke more and be alone.

Whis lay his head against Beerus’ shoulder.

“I wish I could stay longer.” He said.

“Yeah, me too,” Beerus said. “What are you going to do when you get back?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve been thinking about going back to school, but for something else. Maybe art,” He thought for a moment. “Maybe I’ll just move to San Francisco and become a hippie.”

“God, nothing could be that bad, could it?” They both laughed.

“It’s hard to make these kinds of decisions. Maybe I’ll get into organized crime, like you.”

“Now you’re talking. You’ve already got the connections, and that’s half the job.” Whis smiled and snuggled against Beerus.

“It’s going to be strange going back home. It feels like so much has changed.”

“It’s going to be strange not having you here.” Beerus said. He wrapped an arm around Whis’ waist, looking around cautiously for anyone who may be able to see them.

“I feel safe with you.”

“Hey, don’t get bummed out, okay? We’ll see each other again. Next time we’ll make it a longer visit.” They were silent for a time. Whis dug his toes into the sand. He let the warm sun and the weed relax him and make his brain dull.

“Beerus,” he said.

“Mm?”

“Are we lovers?”

“Mm...” Beerus straightened up a little. “Do you want to be?”

“Yes, if you want to be.” Beerus felt his face going red.

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

They went to the hotel that evening. As soon as they were behind the privacy of the door, Whis wrapped his arms around Beerus and pulled him in for a kiss. Beerus had him against the wall, hands on his waist, humming softly against his lips. Their tongues met and they pushed their bodies flush together. Beerus moved down, kissing along his jaw and down his neck. He nibbled on the soft skin there. Whis sighed, clutching his shirt. Beerus pulled back, grinning.

“Do you want to...” He asked. Whis thought for a moment.

“I...mm...” He looked down and back up. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to lead you on.”

“Wha—no, no, no! Don’t be sorry! I already told you, you don’t owe me anything!” Beerus said quickly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. Actually I wish I could. But, I haven’t since the night I got arrested. It must sound silly but it just brings back bad memories. I guess I’m just not ready yet.” Beerus pulled him into his arms, hugging him tight.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m lucky enough getting to kiss you and share a bed with you.” He said. Whis smiled and held him back.

“Then kiss me.” Their lips met again, Beerus sighing contentedly as he stroked his face.

They lay together in bed and kissed deeply, holding each other until they feel asleep.

Whis awoke early the next morning and found Beerus asleep beside him. He stroked his ears gently. His plane would leave in a few hours and all he could think about was how hard it was going to be to leave.

Beerus stirred and slowly sat up.

“Mm, good morning,” he mumbled. He leaned over to kiss Whis gently.

“Good morning, handsome,” Whis said. Beerus wrapped his arms around him. They were quiet for a while, lost in the daze of having just woken up and realizing what day it was. “Do you need to go home?”

“I’ll go after I take you to the airport. It’ll be fine,” Silence again. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

“We’ll see each other again.” Whis said.

“Yeah, just not as soon as I’d like.”

They spent the morning wrapped up in each other. Then, Whis packed his things, and they went back to the airport. They held hands again on the way. When they got to the gate, Beerus lit a cigar.

“Call me when you when you get home safe. I’ll be waiting by the phone.” He said. Whis smiled.

“I’ll do that. Beerus, I’m really going to miss you.”

“Me too. Don’t forget about me, okay, kid?”

“I won’t.”

“I’ll let you know when I can see you again.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

It was one of those moments when Whis wanted to forget all about what anyone else thought and just hold and kiss Beerus, cry openly and tell him he loved him. But he couldn’t. They shook hands good-bye and he boarded the plane. He barely managed to hold back his tears on the flight home.

Compared to Miami, New York City was gray and cold. It felt sad and lonely to know that Beerus wasn’t there. He was quiet when he saw Vados. Once he was in her car, she turned to him.

“So?”

“Hm?”

“You told me you’d let me know how serious it was when you got back.”

“You can be so nosy,” he muttered.

“It’s my job,” she said. “So tell me.”

“Fine. We’re in love.” She looked at him in surprise.

“Really? So what happens now?” Whis looked out the window as raindrops began to splatter on the window.

“I’m not sure.”

Beerus sat by his phone, twisting a cigar between his fingers. The phone rang, much sooner than he expected. He jumped and answered.

“Whis?”

“No, Champa. Why would it be—oh my god, don’t tell me you’re still messing around with that kid.” Champa’s voice came through the receiver.

“Quit tying up the line, Champa. I’m waiting on an important call.”

“Well excuse me, I thought I’d call my brother for a friendly chat, and here I find out he’s still screwing around with my lawyer’s baby brother. Didn’t I specifically ask you not to do that?”

“I am not screwing around with him. And don’t act so offended, you never call unless you need something.”

“So what are you saying? You’re going to leave your wife for him?” Champa asked. Beerus thought for a moment.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Champa began coughing violently.

“Are you serious?”

“Look, I’ll call you back, okay? I’m waiting on a call.” As Beerus hung up, he could hear Champa frantically sputtering,

“Wait—Beerus, you’re not serious are you—“

Beerus stared at the ceiling.

‘_Could I leave her? Should I leave her? What would it mean if I did?_’ He was lost in this line of thought for a time, until the phone rang again.

“Hello?” He answered.

“I’m home,” Whis’ melodic voice came through the receiver. All at once, his fears and anxieties melted away. Beerus felt himself smiling.

“How was your flight?”

They talked for a short while. Whis was tired and needed to sleep, but they talked as long as they could.

The days that followed were harder than either of them could have prepared themselves for. Beerus was distracted by how much he missed Whis, and nearly got himself shot as a result. Whis was quieter than usual. Even his father noticed, and kept asking if he was alright. Whis tried to brush it off, but he knew his father was worried.

Summer came, and with it, Whis hoped, the promise of a fresh start. He applied to several colleges in the area. He heard back from one, who invited him in for an interview.

Two elderly gentlemen sat on the opposite side of a desk from him. They went over his application, his education, his family, and then,

“We are a bit concerned,” the man on the right, bald and squat, wearing thick glasses said. “With your record.” Whis took a breath. He knew this was coming, and he had rehearsed what to say a hundred times over.

“Yes, I can understand that. I’ve received professional help for the issue, though, and I’m cured now.”

“Professional help? What sort of treatment do they use nowadays? Electroshock therapy?” The man in the left, bearded and tall, in an ill-fitting tweed suit asked.

“No. I mean, some do, but my doctors didn’t deem that necessary in my case. For me, all that was needed was psychotherapy.” Whis said. The men looked to each other, then back to him.

“You can understand our concern, of course. The safety of our students must be top priority.”

“Of course.” he nodded.

“Now, we’ll be checking this information later, naturally, but the information we have received from you states you stopped seeing Dr. Williams for treatment last February. Did he tell you that you were cured, or did you leave of your own accord?” The man on the right asked.

“I left of my own accord, but I am cured.” Whis said. The men looked at each other again.

“Are you associated with any communist organizations?” The man on the left asked.

“No, of course not,” Whis said quickly. “I can understand your concerns, but I love this country, I would never betray it.” The men looked at each other once more.

“Thank you, Mr. Whis. We’ll be in touch.”

As he stepped out of the building, Whis felt a hand on his arm. He turned to find the balding, squat man behind him.

“May I have a word with you in my office?” He asked. Uncertain what to expect, Whis followed. The man’s office was smaller than the room where Whis had interviewed, cramped and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. “I do apologize if that interview felt more like an interrogation. We are just doing our jobs, you understand.”

“Yes, that’s alright,” Whis said. The man took a crystal decanter and poured two small glasses of whiskey. He handed one to Whis. Whis looked at it in confusion, then back up to the man. “Sir?”

“You are a charming young man. Intelligent, too. And all political persuasions aside, it would be negligent of me to fail to mention the great work your father has done for this city. To fail to admit someone of your standing to this school does seem a poor move on our part. However, as a school official, I can’t approve you without some certainty of your intentions. Would you do what is required of you, for this institution, and for yourself?”

“What are you asking me?” Whis asked. He was feeling uncomfortable. The man seemed to be leering at him.

“It’s just a simple exchange. You give me your time, and I give you access to the school. I may even be able to pull some strings, get you into the best classes, ensure you get top marks, glowing letters of recommendation in your future job search, provided you are willing to give me what I ask in return.” He explained. Whis swallowed.

“Are you saying that you will accept my application if I’m willing to sleep with you?”

“That’s cruder than I would personally word it,” the man said, leaning back slightly in his chair. “But yes.”

“You can word it however you like. The answer is no.” Whis said. He was shaking. The man laughed.

“I see. Too good to sleep with someone who will secure your future, but not to good to whore yourself out to a stranger at a party. Free love, isn’t that what they’re calling it these days?”

“You don’t know the first thing about me.” Whis said severely, standing up.

“I know that I don’t let students in who aren’t willing to do what it takes to reach the top at any cost. Unlike you, Mr. Whis, I am not sloppy. That’s what has allowed me to keep my job. You slipped up. You got caught. If you’re not willing to let go of your naïve concepts of what it takes to make it in the real world, then you’ll be paying for your mistake for the rest of your life, mark my words. And so will your father, and the rest of your family. Is that what you want?” The man looked up with a smug expression, as if he had won some battle of wits.

In a moment of eerie calm, Whis grabbed the crystal decanter full of whiskey and hurled it at the man with all his strength. The squat man fell from his leather chair in his bid not to be hit, and the bottle shattered against the wall behind him, looking as though if he hadn’t moved it may have crashed over his head. Whis stepped forward to lean over the man where he now cowered on the floor.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline your offer, sir. I don’t believe this institution is the right fit for me after all.” And he stepped outside.

“I’ll kill him,” Beerus growled when Whis later recounted the story to him over the phone. “I should kill him. Do you want me to kill him? I know a guy. They’d never be able to trace it back to us.”

“I’m not sure that’s true. I did nearly kill him with his own cheap booze. I think that would make me a prime suspect.” Whis said, sinking back against the bench. Beerus laughed.

“Brilliant. Almost seems worth it just to picture the son-of-a-bitch’s face when you chucked the thing at him. Your pretty face may fool some people, but you have a vicious streak.”

“Maybe so. Too bad that doesn’t seem to be enough to get me anywhere in life. It’s starting to feel like that one, stupid night ruined me forever.”

“Hey, forget everything that old creep said. Listen to _this_ old creep when I tell you, you can do anything you want in life, okay? You’re going to be fine, I promise.” Beerus said.

“I wish you could be here with me. Maybe people wouldn’t treat me like a walking target if I had a real mafioso with me.”

“If I had it my way, you wouldn’t need to worry about college or work or anything like that. It’d be you and me on a beachfront property. I’d spoil you silly.”

“Hm, so I guess I would be the mob wife.”

“If that’s what you wanted! I’d even get you a mink coat. You like mink, right?”

“Who doesn’t?” Whis giggled. “You know, that life doesn’t sound half bad.”

“Yeah.” Beerus sighed. Whis looked around, leaning over to make sure no one was within earshot.

“I love you, Beerus.” He said when he was sure he was alone.

“I love you too, _angelito_.”

After they hung up, Whis’ father stepped into the room.

“Are you talking to Beerus again?” He asked. Whis felt his heart skip a beat.

“Yes,” he answered coolly. He stood from the bench.

“It’s interesting that the two of you have become such good friends. I wouldn’t have expected that you would have so much in common.”

“Yes, it came as a surprise to me, as well. Um, excuse me, I have something I need to do,” Whis said.

“How did the interview go?” Whis paused.

“Fine, I think. We’ll know in a few weeks, anyway.” He said. Then he continued to his room. He felt a knot in his stomach. He had disappointed his father enough for one lifetime.

“...rus? ...Mr. Beerus?”

“Hm?” Beerus was mostly spaced out still as he realized his employee was talking to him.

“What should we do about the deal?” The gunman asked.

“Deal?”

“Have you heard a word I said? He’s trying to screw you out of payment. He didn’t give you what he owed and now he’s trying to say you didn’t give him the amount he asked for, if we don’t do something right away, he’s going to skip town.”

“Oh. Yeah. That.” He muttered

“Sir, with all due respect, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing, I’m fine. Take care of it, you know the drill. If he doesn’t respond to polite conversation, step it up a notch.” Beerus said. The thug left. Beerus sat at his desk. He knew this constant distraction was becoming a problem.

He just didn’t know what to do about it.

“To Whis,

“I didn’t think this would be so hard. It’s like you’re a piece of me I didn’t know was missing all these years.

“I was going to wait to tell you, but I think I may be able to come up for a visit this Winter. I know it’s probably not as soon as either of us would like, but it’s the soonest I can do. Probably after Christmas, Shelly wants to invite her parents down for most of December. God help me.

“I’ll work on hammering out more of the details in the coming weeks. In the meantime, just know that I love you and miss you terribly. I can’t wait to have you in my arms again.

“_Te amo, angelito_,  
“—Beerus”

Whis beamed as he read the letter again and again. Ever since he left Miami, he had been unable to shake the fear that he would never get the chance to see Beerus again. Now there was a possibility. Considering how things had been going, hanging on to this possibility was enough to keep Whis going.

He had branched out to apply to colleges a little further away, but none had accepted him. He had applied to jobs around town as well, office work and sales type jobs, but even still, no one seemed interested. The frustration was getting to him. The fast-approaching election wasn’t making things easier, either. It was like there was a constant spotlight on his family, the whole state watching his every move. His name had been appearing in newspapers and TV broadcasts again, people claiming that his “unnatural perversions” clearly pointed to communist affiliations. Naturally, if he was suspected of being a communist, his father was as well.

Seeing Beerus again would make everything feel right.

“Dear Beerus,

“You don’t know how happy you’ve made me. I’ll see if father will mind you staying here in a guest room. The election will be over by then, one way or another. If all goes well, he’ll be too busy to notice much anyway. I do long to share a bed with you again. If I’m honest, I think part of me regrets that we didn’t do more during my visit. The thought of knowing your touch has kept me awake too many nights now.

“I hope Shelly’s family is kind to you. I know more about awkward family gatherings than I would like, so I can understand how stressful it must be for you. We’ll be each other’s support during this time. For everyone that makes us feel unwelcome, unloved, or unwanted, we’ll know that we have each other through it all. The thought makes me feel stronger even now.

“I’ve been trying to learn more Spanish. Tell me how I did.

“_Mi corazón es tuyo, mi cielo_,  
“—Whis”

Whis was trying his hardest to stay away from the public eye. Hiding quietly away was not his usual style, be he didn’t want anymore articles and exposés. His father was as stoic and calm as ever, but Whis knew the press was getting to him. It would be easier to hide away and pretended not to exist, and maybe the papers would leave him alone, at least for a moment.

The day of the election, Whis sat with his father and sister in front of the television, all three of them smoking anxiously as they watched the votes being tallied. The numbers rose, then fell, then rose, then fell.

When it was over, his father had lost. His father sipped his glass of wine.

“That’s that,” he said.

“Too bad,” Vados frowned. “The city would have been lucky to have you.”

“Well, it’s over now.”

“I’m sorry, Father,” Whis stood up. “This is my fault.” His father looked surprised.

“No, it isn’t. Blaming yourself won’t change the outcome.”

“If I hadn’t been arrested, then maybe—“ his father put a hand up to stop him.

“_Maybe_. And maybe if I had been a foot taller, or maybe if I had grown a beard. We’ll never know, and there’s no sense in torturing ourselves over what may have been,” He said. The phone rang. “I assume that’s for me.” He went to answer the phone. Whis felt Vados’ eyes on him. He turned to look at her.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Nothing,” she said. “You know, all he wants is for you to be happy.” She finished her glass of wine, then stood and walked to the kitchen.

“Good news,” Whis said into the receiver. “Father says you can stay here.”

“Good, that’ll make things easier,” said Beerus. “I mean, more convenient.”

“I can’t wait to see you. I feel like a child waiting for Christmas again. I’m counting down the days.”

“You’re telling me. I just have to survive Christmas, first.”

“When is her family coming?”

“In about a week,” Beerus grumbled. “We’re going up to her mother’s in Orlando for Thanksgiving, then everyone is coming down for Christmas. Like it’s not bad enough having a house full of guests I never wanted, her mom hates me and is always bad-mouthing me to everyone else. Then Shell gets all stressed out and it’s such a damn drama every year. Remember when Christmas used to be fun?”

“Yeah, it seems like a long time ago now. When I was a little boy, I asked for a doll for Christmas. Thank goodness no one bought me one. I might have turned out to be some sort of sissy.”

“Or a communist,” Beerus added with a laugh. “Listen, _angelito_, I have to go. I’ll see you in 35 days. I love you.”

“35 days. _Te amo, mi cielo_.” Whis replied.

Thanksgiving was a stressful blur. Beerus suddenly had half an idea what Whis must have felt like all the time, having to make polite conversation with people who obviously hated him. He had to smile and nod his way through his in-laws grilling him on when he was going to get a “real job,” and why he didn’t take Shelly out on nice dates anymore, and when they were going to have kids, and on and on and on.

Kids were the one thing he and Shelly had an understanding about. She didn’t want any, but she knew her family would never understand. So he took the fall for her, and pretended to have a low sperm count. It saved her the grief, but left him stuck hearing long-winded lectures about new, experimental treatments he just _had_ to try for his “you-know-what problem.” As much as he detested it, he knew it was for the best. He wasn’t cut out to be a father, and Shelly wasn’t cut out to be a mother, and that suited them both just fine.

In the brief moments of privacy he was able to find, Beerus hid himself away and wrote to Whis. It felt good that for once he had someone to talk to about all the stress and craziness that went with keeping up a sham marriage.

Whis kept himself busy as well. It was an exhausting, constant upkeep. Normally he could relax a bit at home, but when his whole extended family was there, there were no breaks. While his father didn’t blame him for his electoral loss, his family did, and they grilled him more than the press or voters ever had.

‘_You can’t wear that, wear something more plain. Not too plain, though, then it looks like you’re trying too hard. Stand up straight. Don’t sit like that. Don’t move like that. Watch your voice. Don’t seem so excited about this topic. Seem more excited about that topic. Don’t check your hair where they can see you. Don’t laugh so much._’ A never ending stream of reminders like this ran through his head. Even still, they didn’t protect him fully. Drunk relatives would still sneeringly remind him that they thought he was disgusting, and that his father was crazy for not throwing him out onto the street.

“Your father would have won the election if it weren’t for you. You should be ashamed of yourself.” One aunt told him.

“This is the new generation, is it? Your sister works all day instead of being a good wife and mothering some children, and you stay home all day and party at night, living a sinful existence. You are what’s wrong with this country.” A cousin said to him.

He found Vados in his own, usual hiding spot, the balcony off of the library. She was downing vodka from the bottle. He stepped next to her. Wordlessly, she handed the bottle to him. He took a sip, then handed it back.

“If one more of them gives me a phone number to some ‘nice boy’ they want me to ‘give a chance,’ I’m jumping.” She said. Whis smirked.

“I’ve made the passive-aggression into a game this year. Every time I hear a Bible verse or some paraphrased version, I make a tally mark. Two if I hear the word ‘abomination.’ When it’s over, I’ll tally up the total and then Beerus will buy me something equal to that in dollars. I’m at 23 already, and it’s not even Christmas.”

“Not bad,” She grinned. “You must be excited to see him.”

“Yes, I am.”

“My little baby brother has found love!” she teased. Whis huffed and grabbed the bottle away from her again.

Whis checked his watch again. Beerus was bound to be there any minute. He had to drive up to make some sort of delivery he didn’t want to do by plane. He spent the night somewhere in North Carolina at Whis’ request. Beerus originally wanted to drive straight through, about 24 hours of driving, but Whis worried about him driving for so long on no sleep. So, Beerus slept in a cheap motel. When he called before he left, he said he was about 550 miles away, according to the road map. He figured he’d be able to make it in about 10 hours.

It had been 12.

Beerus was a resourceful man. Whis was sure nothing bad had happened. But the anticipation was getting worse, and time seemed to have slowed to a standstill. Whis was pacing around the house. He kept checking the windows and his watch. Occasionally, he would stop by a mirror and double-check his clothes and hair.

The doorbell rang. He ran to the door and opened it. Beerus was grinning on the other side.

“Hey, kid.” He said. Whis threw his arms around him. Beerus was startled but held him tight. Whis was laughing and smiling brightly as he pulled back. After a moment to regain his composure, he straightened up and said,

“You’re late.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Guy I was supposed to make the drop-off to was late. Plus the damn roads are so icy, I figure I would have only lost more time looking around for a phone to call you on, so I came straight here.” He said. Whis was grinning broadly.

“Come on, I’ll show you to your room.” He said. He lead Beerus up the stairs and down the hall the the guest room. It was big and old-fashioned. Beerus dropped his bags on the floor.

“Pretty nice room,” he said as he slowly closed the door behind him. “Nice woodwork.” As soon as the door was shut, Whis was on him again, kissing him hard. Beerus held him by the waist. They were wrapped up in each other for a while, until Whis pulled back, stroking Beerus’ ears.

“You are freezing.” He said.

“Yeah, the radio says it’s 20 degrees out. I didn’t even know that kind of cold existed.”

“There’s a fire going in the den, let’s get you warmed up,” He started for the door, and paused when he realized Beerus wasn’t following. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I just...I’ve missed you so damn much.” He said. Whis felt his heart jump.

“Me too,” he stepped over and grabbed his hand. “Now come on, before you catch a cold.”

They went to the den and sat by the fireplace. Beerus told him all about his trip.

“Do you want something to drink?” Whis offered.

“Sure, do you have any scotch?”

“Yes, I’ll get some ice.” Whis went to the kitchen. Beerus sank back against the warm chair.

“Mr. Beerus,” a new voice said from behind him. Whis’ father sat in the chair beside him. Beerus straightened up. “Glad you could make it.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry about the election. They don’t know what they’re missing out here.” Beerus said.

“Unexpected turns are part of the business. I imagine it’s the same in your line of work. Something doesn’t go as planned, and all you can do is take a moment, reassess, and decide where you’re going to go from there.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Whis has become awfully partial to you. I find that a little surprising. By your reputation, I know you as a serious businessman. Someone who is feared by those who know him. That whole cutthroat thing doesn’t normally appeal to Whis, he’s more the sensitive, artistic type. He seeks out life’s pleasures and indulges himself where he can. That leads me to think you have a hidden side to you. Maybe somewhere beneath your hardened gangster exterior, you’re a much more gentle person.”

“I don’t follow,” Beerus said. Whis’ father had delicate features, like Whis, but he was much shorter. He seemed stern and serious, but there was a venomous undercurrent to his words, as though he spoke of one thing on the surface, but was holding an entirely different conversation at the same time beneath it. He smiled and looked to Beerus.

“I hope he’s right about you. For his sake,” his eyes darkened. “And yours,” Beerus suddenly felt nervous, but also impressed. Part of him wanted to ask for pointers on how to be so intimidating. “I’d better be going. Enjoy your stay, it was nice to finally have a chance to chat.”

“Y-yeah, uh, good talking to you.” Beerus said as Whis’ father stood to leave.

Moments later, Whis returned with a bucket of ice and wheeled the bar cart closer.

“Sorry about that, I probably should have made sure this was set up before you got here but I was so anxious to see you again I forgot all about it.” He said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Beerus replied as Whis handed him his scotch on the rocks. “Hey, does your old man, uh, know about us?”

“No, of course not. Why?”

“No reason, just wondering.” Beerus laughed nervously.

They spoke more, catching each other up on their horror stories from family holiday gatherings. It was getting late, and outside, snow was beginning to fall. After a time, Beerus yawned.

“Hey, do you mind if I take a shower? I’m feeling pretty tired and I gotta rinse off before bed.” He said.

“Of course, there’s a bathroom connected to your room.” Whis said. They kissed.

Beerus didn’t know what to expect. Whis had been getting more bold in his letters, but Beerus didn’t want to put any expectations on him. He didn’t mind if Whis still wasn’t ready to go further. He didn’t mind waiting as long as it took. He didn’t mind if Whis never felt ready, if they never went any further.

But he certainly didn’t mind if it happened, either.

When he stepped out of the shower, wrapped in the soft bathrobe that had been placed inside his bathroom, he found Whis, sitting on the edge of his bed, in a silk night robe that had slid down just enough that a shoulder was exposed.

“Whis,” Beerus was breathless. Whis turned to smile at him.

“If you’re too tired, we don’t have to do this tonight.” Whis said. Beerus had been tired. Suddenly, however, he was wide awake.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for.” Beerus said. His heart was pounding. Whis nodded.

“I’ve thought about it a lot. I trust you. I feel safe with you. I know you’ll protect me. It’s been a long time for me, now. Too long. I can’t keep letting that one night ruin things for me,” He looked to Beerus, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “_Quiero acostarme contigo, papí_.”

Beerus could practically feel his brain go to mush. He sat on the bed.

“Where did you learn to talk like that?” He asked in a low growl. He kissed Whis hard. Their tongues met. He held him close, moaning softly against his mouth. Their hands moved to explore each other. Whis’ skin was so soft and smooth, Beerus could almost have been satisfied just touching him like this. Whis moved down to kiss his neck. Beerus’ breath hitched. Whis slipped a hand along his leg, slowly tracing up and down his thigh, moving a little farther up each time. When he reached high enough, he gently groped Beerus through the soft fabric of the robe. Beerus gasped softly. Whis kissed his lips again, hard, then slid down off the bed to kneel on the floor.

Beerus had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep himself from making too much noise. He placed his other hand on Whis’ head, stroking his cheek and hair.

“_Angelito_,” he gasped. Whis looked up at him, lavender eyes glimmering as he worked his tongue. Beerus shivered. Whis massaged him with his hands, sliding his head up and down faster. Beerus clutched the bedding beneath him. “Guh—Whis, if you don’t slow down, I-I’m gonna—fuck—“ Whis took him deeper, clearly not interested in slowing down. Beerus gripped him by the hair, losing himself as pleasure consumed him. With a low groan, he released, his hips twitching as he did. He sighed as the intensity subsided, breathing hard. His whole body tingled.

“There’s tissues on the nightstand.” Whis said. Beerus started, and reached over to grab the tissues.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as he helped Whis clean his face off.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Whis smiled. Beerus helped him up onto the bed. He lay him back and kissed him. He moved methodically down along Whis’ jaw, down his neck, down his chest, along his stomach. Beerus kissed delicately around his thighs and closer still, until he was kissing his arousal. Whis hummed softly, grabbing the sheets. “Beerus,” he whimpered. Beerus’ tongue slithered around him, sending jolts of pleasure through him.

Beerus lay on his stomach, taking Whis in as deep as possible. Whis was writhing on the bed, trying to hold back the sounds that continued to escape him. He had a hand on Beerus’ head, gripping at his ears.

“Beerus, I can’t—“ He keened, immediately before he finished. He buried his face into the pillow to silence his cries. Beerus took everything into his mouth and swallowed. Whis was slack against the mattress, catching his breath. Beerus crawled up to hold him. They were both in a state of bliss, smiling and kissing.

“How was that?” Beerus asked against his ear.

“Mm, almost worth the wait.”

“_Almost_?” Whis laughed.

“I just mean I still wish we had done this sooner. I’ve been missing out.” He explained. Beerus held him closer.

“Well, we’re here now. No regrets.” He said. Whis reached back and stroked Beerus’ hip gently, then reached down to feel where he was hard again.

“It seems like maybe we’re not quite done yet.” Whis smirked. Beerus laughed.

“Yeah, that doesn’t usually happen when I’m sober,” he said. Whis turned to look at him better.

“Oh, don’t feel bad. I’m sure it happens to lots of men your age.”

“Hey!” Beerus pretended to be offended. Whis laughed more.

“So,” he said, softer now. “Do you want to put it in?” Beerus’ face flushed.

“Uh, yeah—I mean, do you have, uh, stuff for that?”

“In the nightstand drawer.” Beerus sat up and opened the drawer to find a small tub of petroleum jelly.

“You planned everything, didn’t you?” He teased. Whis sat up a little.

“I didn’t plan it, exactly,” He said. “I just knew that I wanted to, and I thought it would be better to be prepared.” Beerus crawled over him and kissed him.

“_Eres tan sexy, angelito_,” He whispered. Whis’ face heated. “Get comfortable,” Whis shifted against the pillows. Beerus kissed his neck and ears. He untied his robe and tossed it aside, then slid his hands under the silk of Whis’. He felt his skin delicately. He stroked down his stomach and up between his legs. Their lips met and tongues touched together. Beerus lightly stroked his entrance with his fingertips. Whis whined softly.

“Beerus,” he breathed. He looked up at him. Beerus was smiling, eyes glazed with lust. He sat up and coated his fingers with the lubricant.

“You ready?” He asked. Whis nodded. He wrapped his arms around Beerus’ neck. Beerus pressed a finger into him. He gasped. “You alright?”

“Yes, _papí_,” Whis sighed. They kissed. He moved inside him, deliberately. Whis’ breath quickened, his hips writhing. “Oh, God...”

“You like that?” Beerus purred. He moved in to kiss Whis’ throat. Whis was lost in pleasure as Beerus touched him inside, using more fingers to slowly prepare him. He stroked his hair and kissed him. They held each other close, Whis gasping and whimpering against his ear. “_Abre tus piernas_.” Beerus said.

“What does that mean?” Whis panted.

“Open your legs.” Whis bit his lip as he did so, and Beerus crawled between them. In a delicate motion, they were united. Beerus held him as he rolled into him. Whis groaned, getting louder and louder until Beerus had to remind him to keep his voice down. Beerus got lost in ecstasy and rambled on in Spanish that Whis mostly didn’t understand, but he didn’t mind. Their bodies moved together, the headboard bounced off the wall.

The intensity of climax hit Beerus, he shuddered and cursed, slamming into him as he finished. Whis gripped the mattress and gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself from crying out. When he finished, he lay over Whis, panting hard to catch his breath. Whis stroked his hands over his back.

After a time, he rolled off of him. Whis curled up against his chest.

“I love you so much.” He said. Beerus hugged him close.

“I love you too, Whis. So damn much.” They lay for a while, still in states of bliss. Then, Whis shifted.

“I guess I should go clean myself up,” he said. “There’s some champagne in the refrigerator. Would you mind bringing it?”

“Sure.” Whis went into the bathroom. Beerus pulled on his pants and walked out to the kitchen. There were a few bottles of champagne in the fridge. He grabbed the nicest looking one, two glasses, and started back toward the room. Turning down the hall, he nearly ran directly into Vados. She looked a bit surprised at first, then bemused. Beerus blanked on what to do. He just stood there, staring, trying to think of what to say when it was very obvious he had just finished sleeping with her brother. She grabbed the bottle of champagne from him.

“I saw nothing.” She said, and she walked away. Beerus couldn’t help but laugh a little as he turned back to the kitchen to grab another bottle.

When he returned, he found Whis sitting on the bed, wrapped in his silk robe again. They drank and talked for a while, eventually giving in to their desires and making love again before the night was over.

When Whis awoke the next morning, he was cold. The light in the room was too bright. He shifted uncomfortably and found Beerus beside him. He smiled and slowly opened his eyes. Beerus was sitting up in bed, still naked, smoking a cigar and staring out the window.

“It snowed last night. A lot.” He said. Whis sat up and looked out the window. By his estimation, it was about six inches worth of snow.

“Oh. It did,” He yawned. “I know you’re not used to snow. I’m sure it will clear up a bit before you have to leave.”

“Yeah...about that,” he turned to look at Whis. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“I don’t think I can be away from you again. I don’t think I can go back to Miami without you.”

“What are you saying?”

“Come with me.” He said. Whis blinked in confusion.

“What?”

“Come with me,” Beerus suddenly seemed very excited. He grabbed Whis’ hands. “I won’t promise you that it’s going to be perfect or easy, but I can promise I’ll take care of you. I’ll get you your own place, you won’t have to worry about working or anything, I’ll provide everything you need, and we can see each other every day. I’ll stay the night with you as often as I possibly can. I’ll keep you safe,” Whis stared. His mind was racing. He wanted to speak, to say something—though he wasn’t sure what—but nothing came out of his mouth. “Shit, I’m sorry, _angelito_. You just woke up and I’m throwing all this at you,” Beerus dropped his hands and took a breath. “Just think about it, okay? You don’t have to decide anything right away.” Whis paused.

“Are we over if I say no?”

“What? Of course not! I love you, I want to be with you, why the hell would I end this with you?” Beerus said. Whis smiled.

“Okay. I just needed to know. I’ll think about it.”

Whis was surprised that he even needed to think about it. He had been dreaming of this, yet he felt a strange fear gripping him. He would be leaving his family behind, the only home he had ever known. He would be leaving behind a lifetime of memories, good and bad. He would be risking his family’s reputation further by leaving with a gangster.

He wanted to slap himself. How could he say no? How was the thought even crossing his mind?

“_You are grown, now, after all. You could go anywhere you wanted, do anything_.”

Beerus’ words from the night they met echoed in his head. He had spent so long trying to be something he wasn’t to appease his family. He had tried so hard and failed so miserably for so long, just trying to do what he was “supposed to.” He had a chance to be something he wanted to be.

But he would be walking blind into a world he knew nothing about. His life at home wasn’t what he imagined it should be, but at least he knew what to expect. He wasn’t a criminal. Well, technically he was, but he had never been in a gang or the mafia or anything like it. A couple years ago, he had been studying pre-law. Now he was going to live off of a mobster’s money? Even if he didn’t commit any crimes, he could still end up in legal trouble.

All these thoughts swirled around his head all day. He was distracted. Confused. Beerus seemed worried.

“I’m sorry if this is too much,” he said as they sat by the fireplace, smoking joints. Whis had been quiet all day, and Beerus noticed. “I didn’t mean to make you feel pressured.”

“It’s not that I feel pressured. It’s just a big decision, that’s all,” Whis said. He was silent for a time, then, “This isn’t just because I slept with you, is it?” Beerus laughed.

“Don’t get me wrong, you were great, but no. This isn’t because of that. It’s because I love you. I love you and I miss you, and I truly believe I can make you happy in Miami,” he said. “But I can’t decide for you.”

They barely left the house that day. They mostly stayed by the fireplace where Beerus was desperately trying to stay warm. Every so often, Whis would ask a question. They held each other and kissed when they were sure no one would see them. They snuck away to Beerus’ room in the afternoon and spent hours wrapped in each other’s warmth.

Whis lay against Beerus’ chest, both of them sweaty and trying to catch their breath. Beerus was rubbing his back and neck.

“I’ll leave Shelly,” Beerus said. Whis looked up at him.

“What?”

“I can. I should. I know I should. If that’s what you want.” Beerus said. Whis was quiet for a time.

“I can’t decide for you.” He said. Beerus frowned.

“Okay, maybe I deserved that.” Whis giggled softly.

“Let me sleep on it. I’ll decide in the morning.”

“You sound pretty certain.”

“I don’t want to drag this out anymore. Whatever I feel in the morning is what I’ll do.”

Beerus eventually fell asleep. Whis did not. He sat up and smoked cigarette after cigarette. His mind buzzed with with all the concerns and anxieties.

Beerus stirred awake during the night and found Whis sitting up beside him.

“Did you sleep on it?” He mumbled.

“I haven’t slept.” Beerus sat up and pulled him into his arms.

“That’s cheating. You said you’d sleep on it.” He said. Whis grinned and sank against his chest.

He fell asleep in minutes.

When Whis awoke, Beerus was asleep beside him. He stroked his face lovingly.

He had made his decision. He climbed out of bed got dressed before creeping off to his room. He started packing his bags. Whis was so excited he could barely think.

“Are you going somewhere, son?” Whis froze when he heard his father’s voice behind him. He said nothing. “Miami, perhaps?”

“Yes,” he answered hoarsely. His father nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“You’re not planning on coming back. Is that right?”

“I’m not going to change my mind.” Whis said.

“Yes, I know you well enough to know that,” he chuckled. “I’m only here to offer you some coffee.” Whis looked up and saw his father was offering him a mug. Whis sipped it and sat on a chair. They were silent for a moment.

“I haven’t been much of a father to you. It wasn’t until you and Vados started getting older that I realized how much pressure there was on you to be perfect all the time. It’s one thing to expect of an adult, but something else to expect of a child.“

“Father, it’s not something to apologize for.”

“I’m not apologizing. The world is as it is. It’s not fair, but nothing an apology from me can fix. But I’m glad you’re getting away from it. I think it will be good for you.”

“Really?” Whis said between sipping his coffee.

“I wish it wasn’t with a drug trafficker, but there’s not much I can do about that.”

“Better or worse than learning I’m a homo by having to bail me out of jail?”

“I knew before then. Not before Vados. I think she may have known before you even did.”

“When did you know?”

“You were always a little different from the other boys. You were softer, didn’t want to fight, more of an artist. About when you were a teenager you started acting different. You got so quiet I was worried about you for a while. You never caused trouble, but you were off. Then I noticed you were sneaking out.”

“You knew about that?”

“To be honest, at first I was worried you were doing drugs or something. Call it parental concern or pure curiosity, I eventually followed you.”

“Oh, God,” Whis sank back into his seat.

“You went to Julius. I knew the place’s reputation, but I didn’t assume right away. There could be all sorts of reasons a teenage boy would try to sneak into a bar,” he sipped his coffee. “But then you got kicked out, with a group of other gentlemen. Again, there could be a lot of reasons a teenager gets kicked out of a bar. But some of the men you were with were wearing dresses. I was able to put it together from there.”

Whis remembered that night. Julius was a bar where a lot of homosexuals gathered. However, the management of the bar didn’t like that. In New York, there was a law against serving alcohol to homosexuals, since they were supposedly more rowdy. Julius would throw out anyone they knew or thought was homosexual. Whis went regularly. Sometimes if it was busy, he could sneak in and go mostly unnoticed, but usually he didn’t last long before they noticed him and threw him out. Even before his arrest, he was told he was “flaming,” and asked to leave.

“You knew for that long?” He asked.

“It seemed like you didn’t want me to know. I didn’t think pressing you about it would do either of us any good. This McCarthyist garbage about how men should behave never held any water for me. You’re not a traitor or a threat to the country. You’re just living your life. Even if you were a Communist, would your homosexuality be to blame, or the fact that society marginalizes and ostracizes you?”

“I’m not a Communist.” Whis said.

“Obviously, considering who you’ve chosen as a partner. How long has Vados known?”

“I was 16. She cornered me after school one day and asked me point-blank if I was a homosexual. I said no, but she never believed me. Eventually I gave up lying to her.”

“Hm, I see,” He sipped his coffee again. “Whatever happens, you’ll always have a home here. If things go badly, you can always come back.”

“Thanks, Father.”

Whis stepped into the bedroom. Beerus was awake, looking confused and groggy.

“Morning, _angelito_.”

“Morning,” he grinned. He kissed Beerus’ face. “What time are we leaving?” Beerus stared for a moment. Then, his eyes lit up.

“Does that mean—“

“I don’t ever want to be away from you again, _mi cielo_.” Beerus grinned broadly, and threw his arms around him.

“I love you,” he breathed.

“I love you, too.”

Whis said his goodbyes to his family, and put his suitcases in Beerus’ car. He never regretted it. Not once.

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